CASE 1, ACT 3: TWELVE
The castle's occupants, having given Renka her five minutes, began wandering around the castle and calling out her name to find her. "Descendant!". "Descendant, where are you?".
It did not take long before Cartelie found the open passageway in the dining room. She called the others, and they all gathered around the opening, filled with curiosity and unease.
"Where does this lead, Mr. Jessun?" inquired Cartelie.
"The castle's underground exit, Doctor," said Jessun. "We never needed to use it, so it was sealed off a while back."
Suddenly, approaching footsteps could be heard from the opening.
Renka and Sol arose at the entrance.
The occupants stood silent as they waited for Renka's report. She eyed each of them closely, in an attempt to identify who sabotaged the entrance to the underground corridor… But, alas, none of them revealed any signs of guilt.
Barlu leaned forward. "Did you find the crystal, Descendant?"
"Of course," responded Renka with her eyebrows raised. "This is Sol, my assistant. I have tasked her with bringing the crystal to my temple for testing."
"Greetings, everyone," said Sol as she bowed. "Now, if you will please excuse me, I must take my leave."
Sol walked past the occupants, became surrounded by light, then disappeared.
Rhesus took a step back. "She just… disappeared," he whispered, wide eyed. "That is not possible…"
"Mr. Jessun?" called Renka, giving no reaction to Rhesus's awe.
The castle manager quickly turned to face Renka. "Yes, Descendant?"
"May we speak in private, please?"
"Ah. Yes, of course!"
Renka walked into the kitchen, and Jessun followed her in.
Renka closed the kitchen's door as the occupants on the other side watched on with concern.
The Descendant anxiously crossed her arms. "The underground corridor was suddenly flooded, and I was nearly washed away."
"By the Gods!" exclaimed Jessun, trying not to raise his voice. "How could that have happened? The door that connects the outside to the tunnel is very heavy. It would take much more than floodwater to break it."
Renka looked down as she gathered her thoughts. "I believe you, and I do not think it was an accident." She faced Jessun inquisitively. "When was that door last inspected?"
"Why, it was done a few days before the party as part of the castle's safety checks."
"And who did the inspection?"
Jessun froze up for a moment. "Well… It was me."
Once again, a bad light had been cast on Jessun. He started to wonder if someone had it in for him, and whether or not he would be able to catch a break from all the misfortune of the night.
"I assure you, Descendant," said Jessun with haste. "The underground door was checked thoroughly before the party. It is a little old, I admit, but it was in good condition when I last saw it!"
Renka was hesitant. She wanted to give Jessun the benefit of the doubt, but he could have committed foul play. Renka forced herself to keep an open mind about the castle manager, and she uncrossed her arms.
"Mr. Jessun, what do you know about Natron?" asked Renka.
He tensed his mouth. "Hmm… It is an acid, I believe. I heard Doctor Macarius mention it a few times in passing."
"It is the antidote intended for Melia's disease."
"What?" responded Jessun with squinting eyes. "He was planning to cure Melia… with acid?"
"Natron is a slow-burning substance. Someone may have poured it onto the tunnel's door somehow, then the door broke apart amidst all the burning. Apart from the passageway I used, and the external door which broke, are there any other ways to get into the tunnel?"
"Why, yes," revealed Jessun. "There's a trap door in the living area. It leads to a shaft and a ladder which is directly above the underground door."
"The living area… Did anyone go there when I was underground?"
"I am not sure. I certainly did not. We all went our separate ways when we searched the castle for you."
"I see," responded Renka, her face tense. "The culprit likely poured the acid into a cup, then threw it down the shaft. When the cup hit the ground below, the splash would have been big enough to land on the underground door to burn it, thus executing the sabotage."
"Yes. How fiendish," Jessun observed. "I am sorry, Descendant. Even if a cup was used from this kitchen, we have so many that one missing would go unnoticed."
"I know," sighed Renka, nodding to hide her frustration. "I am curious about something else, Mr. Jessun. Those two paintings in the dining room of two girls playing in a field... Who are they?"
"Ah, those. Well, one of them is definitely Flesuna. I am not sure who the other girl is. She looks a lot like Melia."
"And regarding Flesuna's academic goals… Does she have any particular interests in the field of medicine?"
"Yes. Mainly in allergens and immunotherapy, I believe. I encouraged her to study something more interesting and lucrative like tropical medicine, like what Sevius was going to do, but Flesuna was not interested."
"Sevius? He was going to study medicine, too?"
"Indeed. Doctor Macarius even gave him a loan to do it."
"And have all his academic fees been paid?"
"Yes, they have."
Renka took a moment to consider Sevius. He may have looked into tropical medicine in his spare time, then discovered Natron during his research.
"I will need to speak with him," declared the Descendant. "Thank you, Mr. Jessun."
Renka bowed, then left the kitchen and re-entered the dining hall, hoping to see all of the occupants present and Sevius conveniently in sight. But, alas, the room was empty.
She walked into the living room, connected to the dining room, and found the trap door at the far end of the room. It was closed, but the keyhole on the trap door had melted off. The saboteur had used some Natron to destroy the lock.
Renka walked into the hall. She looked up, and saw Sevius standing on the upper walkway. He was leaning on the banister, and staring down at the fallen chandelier and the pool of blood beneath it. He had a somber look on his face, and Renka, upon seeing him, knew she had to approach her interrogation with some sensitivity.
Renka climbed the staircase, and stood next to Sevius.
"It is best not to stare into a crime scene, Sevius. I am sorry we cannot move the chandelier or clean up the blood at present," said Renka.
"I am fine. I have seen many dead bodies before, in my medicine books, of course. I will manage."
Renka appreciated his words, but she felt his bravery was being pushed to its limits.
"I hear Doctor Macarius was generous to you?" prompted Renka.
"Ah, for my studies, you mean?" Sevius responded, now looking out from the walkway. "Well, 'generous' is perhaps too strong a word. He gave me a loan, not a grant. He was not being cautious with his money, rather, he wanted his gift to be treated as an investment. And, I suppose his approach was just. I would have little to no motivation to study if I could do it for free. I said to Doctor Macarius that I did not wish to be a servant forever, and he suggested that I become a doctor like him. That seemed like the best alternative at the time. 'It is a rewarding career', he said. 'Doctors save lives everyday', apparently. I did buy into his idea at first…"
"But, in the end, you have no passion for it," suggested Renka.
"Oh, my. Is it really that obvious?" said Sevius with a hint of sarcasm. "Alas, I am more into the arts, not the sciences. As a matter of fact, I am better off here… in this crumbling old castle. I can study its architecture, sculptures and artworks. I can even document this castle's history and turn one of the unused rooms into an archive. Those are the things I am most passionate about, and changing my role inside here is the best decision I can make for myself."
"That may be so," Renka reflected. "But your change of heart has put you in a poor position. The loan Macarius gave you has already been paid to your medical school, and, with the academic year starting so soon, getting those funds back now is impossible."
Sevius look at Renka without a wrinkle of emotion. "So I killed him to avoid repaying my debt… Is that what you are thinking, Descendant?"
"I must keep an open mind, Sevius," responded Renka with an equal amount of poise.
"Well, I certainly did not kill him. Why would I kill a man who had so much faith in me?"
Sevius went silent and looked out to the hall again. Renka did the same.
"Can anyone vouch for where you were at the time of Doctor Macarius's death?"
"No. I was alone when I heard the chandelier fall. I can vouch for Doctor Barlu and Doctor Cartelie, though. They were bickering constantly in the room next to mine, and they continued on after the crash. They probably thought it was just another thunder strike."
Feeling she had heard enough, Renka quietly strolled off down the walkway.
She advanced toward the room of Cartelie and Barlu. As she got closer, their voices emanated louder and louder, muffled behind their old wooden door. Renka could sense their discontent again.
She knocked on their door. There was a moment of sudden silence from the room. The wooden bolt then moved, and the door slowly opened to reveal Cartelie.
"Descendant…" said Cartelie, her cheeks slightly red from raising her voice prior. "We were expecting you."
"Naturally," remarked Renka with a reassuring smile. "May I come in?"
"Yes, please do."
Renka entered the bedroom, and saw Doctor Barlu sitting on the bed. He slowly looked up from the floor to acknowledge the Descendant's presence.
"Greetings," he said quietly with a nod.
"Greetings, Doctor," began Renka. "I am sorry for your loss."
"Loss? What loss do you speak of?" snapped Barlu.
"Draken, please-"
"No, Amandi. We must make it clear that Macarius was a fiend at heart!"
Cartelie went silent, and broke her eye contact with him.
This sudden outburst filled Renka with concern. "At the time of Macarius's death, Sevius heard you both talking through the wall," observed Renka. "Right now, he can vouch for your whereabouts during the night, and you can both vouch for each other, of course. You are both the least likely suspects in this case, so feel free to speak your minds."
Barlu and Cartelie exchanged glances, then Cartelie lightly nodded. Barlu took a deep breath, got up, and walked over to his leather bag. He pulled out a papyrus scroll, and shook his head with dismay.
Renka went up to Barlu, and he gave her the document. He then went back to sitting on the bed. Cartelie arrived by his side, placing her warm hand on his shoulder.
"The misdiagnosis rates for Macarius's healing center are unacceptably high," announced Renka as she read the scroll.
"He constantly pushed his agenda of diagnosing patients as quickly as possible," said Cartelie through gritted teeth. "It led to many mistakes being made."
"Has this report been officially published?" asked Renka.
"No, it is an advance copy. It will be published next week, and any citizen will be able to read it," answered a now more settled Barlu. "We only received it just before we left for the castle. We were going to announce our resignations after this weekend."
"There was no point in us staying and trying to fix things," sighed Cartelie. "Macarius ran that place with an iron fist, and he never changed his ways. 'Diagnose with haste, succeed with haste', was his so-called 'strategy'."
"This report would have damaged his reputation," observed Renka as she continued reading it. "It covers the past decade of his center’s records, after all."
"So… could his death have been a suicide?" prompted Barlu.
"That is a possibility. But I have read Macarius' will, and upon his death, full control over his healing center goes to Doctor Draken Barlu, and Doctor Amandi Cartelie," announced Renka, glancing up at the two.
Barlu stood up from the bed, and Cartelie's mouth dropped open.
"What?" Barlu exclaimed. "How can that be? We are certainly not in his highest favor!"
"That may be so, but… We were the only two who spoke up about his practices," recalled Cartelie. "Perhaps he saw us as being strong enough to lead the way, should he pass away?"
"Or perhaps he killed himself after putting us in his will to take us down with him!" cursed Barlu. "That fiend!"
"I take it your relationship with Macarius was… strained?" asked Renka.
"Of course!" said Barlu. "He was a brilliant doctor, but he could not run an enterprise to save his… you know…" His voice trailed off.
Renka placed the scroll down on the table. She then put her right elbow on her left palm, and rested her chin on her fist.
"I believe Doctor Rhesus also had a copy of this report in his bag," Renka recalled. "Did he ever mention resigning?"
"No," replied Cartelie. "If anything, he was the most favored to take over the healing center, should Macarius step down."
"Interesting," the Descendant remarked. "Could Macarius have brought any Natron into the castle?"
"Natron? The acid? Oh, heavens no," said Cartelie, shaking her head.
"That would not be possible," commented Barlu. "He is severely allergic to it. Yes, he studies Natron, but only at a distance."
Renka went silent as she gathered her thoughts.
"Very interesting…" she murmured. "Thank you, both. Please excuse me."
Renka bowed to the doctors and left the room.
As Renka closed the door behind her, she looked in the direction of the staircase, and saw that Sevius had gone from the walkway.
Suddenly, Melia burst through her room's door with a huge smile on her face. She looked around frantically, before settling her eyes on Renka at the far end.
"Descendant!" shouted Melia.
Renka blinked twice and slightly tilted her head in disbelief.
"My voice has returned!" the servant loudly proclaimed as she excitedly shook her fists near her chest. "This is truly a miracle from the gods!"
Renka could not help but return a smile. But, her delight quickly vanished upon seeing something on Melia's neck…
"Melia!" shouted Renka. "Get that off you!"
Renka quickly clapped her hands, slowing down time and speeding up her own time. She started running toward Melia, but it was too late.
The liquid on Melia's neck suddenly burned into her throat at a rapid pace. Feeling the intense smolder, Melia grabbed her throat with both her hands, and the Natron let off its heated steam as it made its way into Melia's skin.
"Urrghhh!" Melia fell to her knees in pain, and her slowed down scream haunted Renka's ears.
Renka grabbed one of the large flower vases on the walkway, and ripped out the flowers from it. As Renka was trying to get to Melia, the other occupants exited their rooms to see what was happening.
With all her strength, Renka threw the vase's water onto Melia, drenching the servant from head to toe. Renka then dropped the vase, and she clapped her hands again to return time to normal.
The now wet through Melia, with her hands still on her throat and her eyes squinting hard, fell backwards onto the floor with a loud thud.
"Melia!" cried Flesuna, covering her mouth with both hands.
Jessun and Flesuna instinctively stepped forward.
"Stay back!" shouted Renka as she flung out her palm to them.
She then knelt beside the shaking Melia, unsure about what to do next. She saw Melia's lips trying to move, so the Descendant moved her ear closer.
"T-twelve," the servant whispered through her burned throat.
With those final words, Melia's body went limp. Renka leaned back in the hope she would see any more signs of life from the servant, but alas, there were none.
Renka was still and silent, with her mouth opened wide by the horror she had just witnessed.
Flesuna stared at Melia's body, trying to take in what she was seeing. She fell to her knees and shook her head. "Melia… No… It cannot be…"
Renka looked around her at all of the occupants as they also stared on. All displayed looks of confusion and shock, with not a single guilt ridden face to be seen.
Renka looked back at Melia's frozen face, and she gently closed the servant's eyes.
Renka slowly stood up with her shoulders tense with anger. But wanting to maintain her composure, she took a very deep breath.
"I… I appreciate that you have all just witnessed a terrible atrocity," said Renka. "But right now, I need you all to go back to your rooms, please."
The occupants remained frozen stiff.
"Now!" she snapped.
The occupants jolted awake, then promptly did as Renka requested, leaving her alone with Melia's body.
Renka stood there in silence, and her sense of determination to find the killer greatly intensified.
