The Swimming Death Trap [A CH Murder Mystery]

23. Time Is Slowly Running

We both walked down the hallway of the fifth floor. I'm still pissed about Panama refusing to help us, but now I have to concentrate on something else more important than that. Austria is following me in case it could be dangerous.

Slowly we arrived at the door in the fifth floor. I knocked a couple of times and waited. Soon it opened and we saw Brazil standing behind with a questioning look, but nonetheless she hold a small smile, like you would see on people working in customer service.

"What a nice surprise to see you Ms. Detective. How can I help you?" She asked in an eagerly cheerful voice.

"There are a couple of question for you to answer. Will you let us in?" I spoke with a serious tone.

Her smile slightly dropped, knowing that it would be inappropriate to smile in this situation. The door went wider and she stepped aside. "Of course. Did something happen?"

We walked inside and I couldn't see anything suspicious. The curtains on the windows and balcony are closed. The room itself looks tidied up. No sign of my book.

I turned around and immediately asked Brazil, "Did you have any contact with any member of the repair group?"

She looked at me with a questioning look and answered, "With the repair group? You mean those three staff members. No I don't think so."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Why do you ask me that?" She spoke while walking to her couch and sitting on it. Thankfully Austria is standing silently in front of the door. At least he won't cause more unnecessary troubles to me.

I walked to Brazil standing in front of her and her coffee table. On it was only some old newspaper and a small cup of half drunk espresso.

"One of the repair group stole my notebook." I informed her and she still wore a puzzled face.

She picked up her espresso and asked me, "And what has it to do with me?" Brazil was about to drink it as I gave her the question,
"Did you pay Poland for stealing my book?"

The room went silent and I could only hear the muffled sound of the rain hitting on the windows. I watched carefully at the most smallest movement of Brazil, but she sat there frozen, silently staring at me with wide open eyes and still holding her cup in her hand.

Soon the room was filled with the sound of laughter. Brazil couldn't hold her straight face anymore and laughed uncontrollably. Unsure I looked at Austria, but even he frowned at her unexpected reaction.

Brazil soon calmed down, wiping a tear from her eye away and put the cup down on the table, to prevent from spilling the hot liquid. She saw my confusion and spoke in a cheerful tone, "Wait you didn't mean it serious. Right?"

"Uhhh I do. Did you spoke with Poland?" I asked her again. She chuckled a little bit before answering with a wide grin, "Oh please why would I do that? I don't even know who that Poland even is."

"He has a white and red color and a scar across his face." I explained it to her. She kept having a puzzled look until she asked, "Is that the guy who cowardly sat on his chair like a ball in the dining room?"

She probably meant the moment when the V4 were in the dining room and Poland got scared by the dogs. "Yeah that's him!"

"Ah okay. I saw him a couple of times, but I never was interested to talk with him. He doesn't look attractive with his scar and the constant glaring at everyone as if he was about to mug them." She explained while taking her coffee cup again.

"Well he claimed that you did talk to him."

Brazil took a long sip from her coffee and put the empty cup down on the table. "Could it be that he was lieing? Are you even sure that he didn't just randomly said a name to protect himself?"