𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝒩𝑜𝓌 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 - 𝙸𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚍 𝙲𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚎

Chapter 4

The Breeze of the October air danced threw my window the smell of smoke twirled its way to my nose, laying upon my bed with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company. hearing a knock at the door i slowly stand up and walk over to my equipment scanning each one carefully, hearing the door open a maid walks in i glance back to see her carry a pitch of water to the wash stand, "Thank you, please tell Mr.Van Tassel i will be down in a moment" i gently addressed the young woman.

Giving a small nod "I Will, sir"

hearing her footsteps near the door of the room but then suddenly stop, looking over my shoulder to see on why she has stooped i'm surprised to see her staring at me. "Thank God you're here" and with that she quickly exits the room leaving me once alone with my thoughts.

turning back to my surgical equipment, pondering  on the case that i've been sent to solve. shaking the thought out of my head and set my things down neatly on the table and leave to meet with Van Tassel.

opening the double oak door gently the only noise filling my ears was the creak of it swinging open slowly upon hearing my entrance the five men in the room turn my way all with grim faces and a maid that was serving tea to the men, turning slightly i could see Lady Van Tassel pouring the men spirits if they wanted it.

Baltus gasps and grins at my arrival, and chimes. "Ah, excellent!Come in"

he turns to his wife with a smile plastered on his face"Leave us my dear"

the two women made their way out of the room closing the door behind them gently, i could hear the faint sound of the voices drifting down the hallway. Looking back at the men that sat around a small coffee table with there faces plastered in my direction, Bealtus gestures me to join them introducing them one by one, "We are joined by Dr. Thomas Lancaster, Reverend Steenwyck, Samuel Philipse and lastly this fine Gentlemen is James Hardenbrook" He gestured to each one of them in-return a small nod of acknowledgement.

But to be quite frank i was quite intrigued in one of the men in particular, Dr. Thomas. The man seemed to be in his fifty', judging by the handkerchief he has in his hand tightly clenched he must always sweat, dragging my eyes across not far away from the man sat Philipes, he must be the youngest...and a possible alcoholic by the way his eyes are bloodshot and his beady eyes sizing his glass with only the finest spirit. Reverend had a sour, distasteful expression on his face, rather bitter for a priest... is it not? lastly my gaze fell on a nervous man, he must have been the oldest there sitting in a sweetheart chair, looking closer you could see right eye was a pale blue and his left one glazed over.

Looking back over to the man that was Baltus Van Tassel i noticed that he didn't clarify his profession "And you, sir?"

Pulling out my journal with all my notes scanning through the pages as i intently listen to him .

"A simple farmer who has prospered" he declares with a prideful Glint in his eyes. "The town looks to me as a friend and counsel."

Philipes sits back and pure annoyance can be seen in his eyes "And landlord and Banker. Can we proceed?" venom laced his words as he spat them at me.

nodding slightly at the man quite startled and not wanting to start an argument out of nothing i took a quick seat. "Thank you"

sitting on a leather sweetheart chair looking to my left i saw Doctor Lancaster and to my right was Philipes...god even looking at the man sends an unnerving chill down my spine.

folding my hands comfortably on my lap i decided to get down to the nitty gritty "So..Three people are murdered?" letting the words fall from my mouth ever so carefully due to the fact that this topic is still very raw.