PROBLEM - Anthony Lockwood

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

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xxxiv

this is not how it was meant to go

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"DEARLY BELOVED, WE are gathered here today to say farewell to Samaran..."

Alice watched as people paid their respects to Sam Pandey. They'd found his body in the chamber at Combe Carey afterwards, and were giving him a much overdue funeral. It was a relatively small collection of people. Maybe around 10 or so.

But Lockwood, Lucy, George and Alice all stood back, nearer to the trees, watching it all unfold.

They all wore black, with Lockwood in his usual suit. Alice was in the same long black dress that she'd worn to Combe Carey Hall, now free of blood. It was the only black dress she had that she felt was appropriate to wear to a funeral.

In truth, they weren't really attending the funeral.

They watched the people mill around and pay there respects, before the four of them turned and began to walk away in relative silence.

There was something different about the silence now though. It wasn't a comfortable one anymore. It felt forced, wrong.

Everything about their little agency had fundementally changed after Combe Carey Hall and Alice hated it. The looks in their eyes, the way they spoke.

It was normal but also not normal.

George was more curt than before, which was to be expected.

Lucy was more or less the same.

But Lockwood.

There was a hollowness in his eyes when he looked at her now. They were like stones, hard and cruel and unforgiving. That was when he did look at her, and he hardly did now.

Alice hated it all.

They'd begun to suspect. To realise that something was going on. That she'd lied to them and she wasn't what she said she was.

Alice wondered how long it would take before they finally figured it all out.

"Excuse me?" a woman called, "Excuse me!"

They all turned back around, to see a woman with dark hair and fair skin jog over to them. "Hi," she smiled, "My name is Penelope Fittes."

Lockwood, Lucy and George stared at her in awe. Alice looked hard at the grass. If she stayed silent, perhaps she would go unnoticed.

But in reality, her heart was beating so loud she feared it would make them go deaf.

No, no, no...

"We know who you are," George gasped, in slight awe.

Penelope smiled, guesturing at them, "Are you are Lockwood and Co.."

Lockwood grinned, laughing slightly. Alice couldn't help it, she looked up at him, watching his eyes light up and his dimples show. He looked so alive under the spotlight. "At your service." His smile dipped down slightly as he forced himself to remain professional, "You're not here to see us, are you?"

"It's nice to see you, but no," Penelope explained, giving an apologetic smile. "My mother led the first attempt on Combe Carey Hall. She was the only survivor, which I think she always felt awful about because, um... Sam was like a little brother to her. So, just, thank you for finding him." Her eyes flickered to Lucy, and she smiled, "You must be Lucy Carlyle."

"You know my name?" Lucy breathed in surprise.

Penelope nodded, "Yep."

"Do you know my name?" George quickly interjected.