Aylia Holmes

4. Grail

"Superintendent Grail," Lestrade said in greeting.

The man they were facing had a rather peculiar expression on his face. Had it not been for a particular...well, wrongness about his face, Aylia would have thought it sorrow at the sight of the dead girl, but that wrongness was so ghastly and horrible she instantly wanted to run either out the door or even just into her husband's arms.

"Good morning," he said after a moment.

"Good morning, sir," Lestrade replied as Grail shifted his curious eyes between Enola, Aylia, and Elwin. "I was sent to investigate a possible disturbance. Someone heard some screams, then I discovered the two young ladies and this gentleman."

"Their names?" Grail demanded.

"Enola and Aylia Holmes- forgive me. Enola Holmes and Aylia Tewksbury," he said. Then, turning to Elwin, he asked, "Your Christian name, sir?"

"Elwin," he replied in a low, cautious tone.

"Tewksbury," Grail repeated. "Not related to Lord Tewksbury, I suppose?"

"My cousin," Elwin said tensely.

Looking between Aylia and Enola with furrowed brows, he glanced at Lestrade.

"His younger sisters," Lestrade explained. "Miss Holmes is a detective."

"Good god, another one. Shouldn't you be in finishing school?" Grail muttered irritably, taking another step into the room. Rounding on Aylia, he demanded, "And you?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she had quite decided what she was going to say, Elwin said, "She works as my assistant. I own a medical practice."

"Miss Holmes is investigating the disappearance of a..."

"Sarah Chapman," Enola filled in.

"Sarah Chapman," Grail repeated, taking another step inside and almost entirely separating Aylia from the rest of the room. "Well, well, how intriguing. So am I. She's wanted for theft and blackmail."

"Blackmail?" Enola repeated.

"Yes, detective," he replied, leaning over to feel the dead girl's hand.

Taking the opportunity, Aylia moved to cross over to her husband, but before she could cross, Grail flicked his cane, blocking her. Aylia raised her chin slightly, but, staring Grail directly in the eye, shoved his cane out of her way and crossed to her husband. Releasing a partially relieved breath, Elwin slipped his hand into hers.

Still glaring daggers at her, Grail remarked, "Still warm. No rigour mortis. When were the screams heard, inspector?"

"Ten past the hour, sir," Lestrade replied.

"When did the three of you arrive?" Grail asked.

"Around the same time," Enola replied.

"We arrived-" Elwin began.

"Just a few seconds after her," Aylia interrupted, giving him a significant look.

"Are you sure?" he asked, brows furrowed.

"Don't you remember?" she said in a calm voice soothing enough to fool almost anyone. "You came home and told me you needed my help five past. It's a five-minute walk, barring no disturbances."

"Right, yes, of course, you are right," he said quickly, finally understanding her hidden meaning.

"Even more intriguing," Grail remarked, taking yet another step closer to them.

Holding up her bloodied hands, Enola explained, "No, I was trying to suppress the blood."

"And how do you explain the rest of the blood?" Grail asked, looking between her and Aylia and Elwin.

"I'm a doctor," Elwin retorted. "I was just leaving my practice to fetch myself some lunch when a woman rushed up to me and told me I needed to come here because a woman had been stabbed."

"And yet you took enough time to fetch your wife?" Grail interrupted, raising an eyebrow at him.

"It was on the way, and she knows how to help in ways I don't," Elwin retorted angrily. "So yes, I stopped to fetch my wife. Once we got here, I took over for Enola and tried to suppress the blood while Ayla went to the other side of the bed to try and keep the poor girl alert!"

"Elwin," Aylia whispered, rubbing her thumb along the back of his hand soothingly. "Calm down." Looking back up at Grail, she said, "We tried to save her, all three of us."

"Or trying to get information out of her," Grail retorted. "Give her a search, inspector."

"Oh, I couldn't," Lestrade protested easily. "I can't pat her down, sir."

"Come along, Lestrade," Grail retorted matter-of-factly. "Let's not be coy about this. She's a detective. She knows the rules."

"Yes," Lestrade said uncertainly, stepping toward her, but he hesitated so long Grail finally snapped, demanding her bag.

Opening it, he withdrew a thick piece of paper and asked, "What's this?"

"My evidence," she replied.

"And that?"

She glanced down, seeing exactly what he was referring to. A piece of paper was poking out of her sleeve.

Pulling it out and hiding it behind her back, she said, "It's nothing."

"Then why are you hiding it?" Grail retorted. "Found at a murder scene with a freshly dead corpse, harbouring evidence isn't gonna look good."

"Leave her be," Aylia retorted in a low, angry voice.

"Do I need to arrest you?" he snapped, turning to face her.

He was eerily close, so close in fact, that she could see the pores in his skin. Without hesitation, Elwin quickly pulled her behind him to his other side.

"I must ask, sir, that you do not threaten my wife," he said in a voice so low and yet calm it was far more threatening than anything else that had been said.

"Superintendent Grail," Enola said cautiously. "You can't believe-"

"What can't I believe, missy?" he yelled, taking a threatening step towards her. "That young ladies don't have the hands for killing? Now give them here!"

With a small sigh, Enola raised her hands, but before Grail could do anything, she launched a kick between his legs. Snatching back her bag, she ran through the door, into another room, and out the window.

"Enola!" Aylia shouted, rushing after her.

Letting out an angry yell, Grail grabbed her by the shoulders and flung her out of the way as he shouted, "After her!"

Aylia cried out, crashing into the table in the centre of the room and toppling to the floor.

"Ayla!" Elwin exclaimed, crouching by her side and feeling for any bumps or cuts. "Are you all right?"

"I'm all right," she groaned, closing her eyes to hold back tears of pain.

Before she was quite ready to get to her feet, Grail reappeared, his face white with rage.

"Get up!" he spat.

With significant help from Elwin, she did so, leaning against him almost entirely.

"You're under arrest!" he shouted, sending spit flying in her face.