ᴅᴀɴᴅᴇʟɪᴏɴꜱ ( 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 )

ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴛʀᴏᴄɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴀʀʀᴇꜱᴛ

OPHELIA DARLING'S blood ran cold. She stiffed as she saw Count Olaf's wicked grin. Her blue eyes looked at Klaus who held a blueprint of the jail in his hands and she shifted her gaze to Violet who had an invention in her arms, that her intelligent brain had made.

This did not look so good.

Her heat felt her it was being crushed in someone's hands when she saw Mr Snicket who was being carried on a stretcher. His face was deathly pale and his eyes were closed, looking as if he was in a peaceful sleep. She also noticed two little marks on the side of his neck.

Hector approached the children with a queasy look on his face. "Let's go, children. This is nothing you ought to see."

Ophelia nodded trying to get rid of the image of Mr Snicket. 

"Not so fast, daddy-o. It's not cool to dismiss suspects at the scene of a crime." called a voice. The voice was wheezy and scratchy, and it had a sinister smile to it as if the person talking were telling a joke. But it was not a voice that made the children want to laugh at a punch line. 

 The children's hearts sank.

"Suspects?" The brown-eyed Baudelaire boy scoffed. "If anyone did this, it was you." He said with certainty.

"It's extra just not cool to disagree with Detective Dupin." Count Olaf said, snapping his fingers to emphasize the word "cool"

"Your name isn't Dupin, it's..." The eldest Baudelaire started only to be shushed rudely by Elder Anabelle. "Silence in the crowd! Gather round!" She yelled as Ophelia felt irritation bubble up in her chest. As she looked at the crowd, she noticed her mother watching them like a hawk. She didn't have a scared or surprised expression on her face but rather melancholic and stoic.

"The Council of Elders has called this emergency town meeting." Elder Jenna announced.

"There have been a lot of emergency meetings lately." Mrs Morrow commented. "I'm fallin' behind on my stories."

"It's imperative that we discuss this most mysterious murder." Elder Sam added.

"I don't think it's imperative."  Officer Luciana said and gave Olaf a big lipstick smile. "I think it is absolutely necessary."

"Imperative" means "absolutely necessary," Esmé," Klaus said, with a hint of irritation. 

"My name is not Esmé. It's Sarah Petunia Alexandra Maryellen." Officer Luciana or Esmé, Ophelia had no idea which name to refer to her now, said.

"What happened to Officer Sabrina Pepper Anastasia Marigold?" Ophelia asked innocently.

"I do not know of such a woman, I told you my name is Diana Ariella Dove Lily." Officer Luciana said, glaring at the blonde.

"Is that what she said just now?" Mrs Morrow whispered to the man in plaid pants.

"But you call me Officer Luciana." The woman continued. "It's my duty to lock up prisoners in the Uptown Jail, and I make sure Jacques was safe in his cell last night." She stiffed realizing her mistake.

"Who's Jacques?" Elder Anabelle asked perplexed.

"It's my nickname for Count Olaf." Officer Luciana added hastily.

"Oh." The Council of Elders said in unison. Ophelia rolled her eyes at their stupidity.

"I have the only key to the jail, so his death is a mystery." Officer Luciana said.

"I do love a mystery." Mrs Morrow said excitedly, as the townspeople murmured behind her. "Especially when it takes place in a cosy village and stars a detective with a funny voice."

"What should we do?" Ophelia asked the Baudelaires. "I am getting more worried by the second."

"I am not sure," Violet admitted. Her blue eyes had an expression of worry that was startling to Ophelia. Violet's eyes were stormy, reminiscent of a storm in the sea. The palm of Ophelia's hand lightly touched that of Violet as she turned away from the notion of holding her hand. Instead, Violet gently grabbed her hand and held it. It made Ophelia blush.

"You're," Detective Dupin or Count Olaf scatted. "right, moldy oldies. But lucky for you cats, I'm a peachy detective with a face for TV and I've already cracked this Popsicle case."